Snap-seal.



E. J. BROOKS.

SNAP SEAL.

APPLICATION FILED NOV-19, 1915.

Patented Feb. 1, 1916,

1 ,F'c'gJZ. 5 .12. .15. f 2' W Q Q Q I r I fizvevziarx EDWARD J. BROOKS,OF EAST ORANGE, NEW JERSEY.

SNAP-SEAL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

PatentedFeb. 1, 1916.

Application filed November 19, 1915. Serial No. 62,318.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD J. BROOKS, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, and a resident of East Orange, in the State of New Jersey, haveinvented a new and useful Improvement in Snap-Seals, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates, in common with previous improvements toself-fastening seals or snap seals as they are commonly termed, for usewithout the aid of tools in securing freight car doors and other likepurposes. Examples of such snap seals are set forth in my Patents#1,017,950 and 1,026,943 and other patents referred to therein.

The present invention consists in certain novel combinations of partsand in an improved snap'seal of the lock ring type embodying saidcombinations as a whole, as hereinafter particularly described andclaimed.

The present invention has as its leading object the production of asimple and perfectly secure seal of the type mentioned, embracingimprovements in the containing member or bulb, the shackle and thelocking ring.

A sheet of drawings accompanies this. specification as part thereof inwhich like reference characters denote like parts throughout.

Figure 1 is a face view of a shaped shackle prior to bending; Fig. 2 isan edge view of.

the shaped and folded shackle; Fig. 3 is a face view of Fig. 2; Fig.4 isa back view of the folded shackle with one end secured in the containermember and the locking ring in its preliminary position previous toscaling; Fig. 5 is a sectional view of the container member with one endof; the shackle secured therein and the other end in contact relationwith the locking ring just prior to pushing same into locking position,which latter position is shown in the simi lar section of Fig. 6; Figs.7 and 8 are top and side views of the container member; Figs. 9 and 10are face and top edge views of the improved locking ring and Figs 11, 12and 13 show modified general forms of the improved locking ring.

Referring to the drawing, the improved containing member a comprises atop member 0 having a shackle admitting aperture in its top it withinwardly projecting lips 1 with the lips n n of the containing member tosecure said shackle end in said container and above these are weakeningnotches 5 6; on both shackle ends are transi' erseenlarge ments 7 8adapted to coincide and close and guard the outer side of the shackleadmitting aperture in the container, the enlargement 7 also operating tosecure that shackle end securely in the container. The improved lockring is is constructed of. spring wire doubled upon itself so that onefree end 11 abuts the'folded end 13 and the other free end 12 passes itas shown in Figs. 9 and 10. This ring may be round as in Fig. 9, orsquare, oval or triangular as in Figs. 11, 12 and 13 or any othersuitable shape.

The improved seal as it leaves the factory ready for use comprises theparts as above 7 described, one end of the shackle longitudinally bentand shaped as shown being permanently secured in the container member bythe interlocking of the horns 4c 4 the lips n n and the enlargement 7and forming a sheath adapted to receive. the other longitudinally foldedend when presented endwise. Within the container member the improvedlocking ring 70 is set with its ends sprung into the indentations 3 3 ofthe fixed shackle end and its far side in the ring engaging notch 10.The seal in this condition is ready for use and in operation the shacklehaving been passed through the staples or pin to be sealed the free endis thrust endwise into the other sheath end and container member. In thecourse of its entrance the ring engaging notch 9 in itsextremity comesin contact with the far side of the locking ring and carries same withitdownward until the free ends of the ring come in contact with thelocking apertures 1 and 2 which at this time are coincident and snapthrough same thereby locking both shackle ends.

It will be noted that the improved form of the shackle admittingaperture in combination with the transverse enlargements of the shackleends interact to effectually seal the container member against theentrance of any tools while the improved ring of doubled wire one freeend abutting and the other passing the folded end makes a seam less ringwhich will sit true in its preliminary position and will snap intosecure locking position without fail. The shackle is adapted to'beembossed with the name or initials of the railroad or firm using sameand may be further marked with a serial number or other marks foridentification as may be desired.

Having thus fully disclosed my invention, I claim 1. A snap seal havingin combination a bulb shaped containing member closed except for a smallshackle admitting aperture in one end, a flexible shackle withlongitudinally folded ends adapted to fit snugly the one within theother, means for securing the outermost shackle end permanently withinthe containing member, means on the shackle ends for guarding theentrance aperture of the containing member, coincident locking aperturesin each of the shackle ends, indentations on either side of theoutermost shackle end above the locking apertures adapted to receive thesprung ends of a locking ring, and a locking ring of spring Wire doubledupon itself so that one free end abuts the folded end and the otherpasses it.

2. A snap seal having in combination a bulb shaped containing memberhaving a shackle entrance aperture at one end, a flexible shackle theends of which are longitudinally folded and adapted to fit snugly theone within the other having means for securing the outermost end in thecontaining member, coincident locking apertures in each end adapted toreceive a locking ring, coincident transverse enlargements adapted toguard the shackle entrance aperture and secure the outer shackle end inthe contain ing member, indentations in the outer sides of the outer endabove the locking apertures adapted to receive the sprung ends of alocking ring, a ring engaging notch in the extremity of each shackle endand a locking ring of spring wire doubled upon itself so that one freeend abuts the folded end and the other passes it.

3. The combination in a snap seal of a two part containing memberadapted to be circumferentially joined having a small shackle admittingaperture in one end with inwardly projecting lips, a flexible shacklethe ends of which are folded longitudinally and adapted to fit the oneWithin the other through endwise engagement, the outermost end havingweakening notches, outwardly projecting horns adapted to engage the lipsof the receiving aperture and indentations adapted to receive the sprungends of a locking ring, both ends having transverse enlargements adaptedto coincide and guard the outer side of the entrance aperture, lockingapertures adapted to coincide and receive a looking ring and ringengaging notches in their extremities, and a locking ring of spring wiredoubled upon itself so that one free end abuts the folded end and theother passes it.

4. A snap seal having in combination a containing member constructedwith a shackle admitting aperture having inwardly projecting lips, aflexible shackle formed from a rectangular strip folded longitudinallyat each end and provided with transverse enlargement adapted to engageand guard the outer side of the entrance aperture and outwardlyprojecting horns adapted to engage the inwardlv projecting lips of saidaperture and preliminarily secure one end of the shackle within thecontainingmember and a locking ring of spring wire doubled upon itselfso that one free end abuts the folded end and the other passes it,adapted to interlock with the shackle ends in the sealing operation;said preliminarily fastened end being a sheath end and the otherlongitudinally folded end being adapted to be inserted endwise into saidsheath end and the two shackle ends having respectively duplicate holesand slots to admit the ends of the locking ring and ring engagingnotches on their extremities, all as hereinbefore specified.

EDWARD J. BROOKS.

\Vitnesses:

J. T. MoAr-Lnsrnn, ELLEN J. Bnoons.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, D. C.

